Church Leaders Meet New Peru President Dina Boluarte

A delegation led by Elder S. Mark Palmer of the Presidency of the Seventy met Peru’s president and minister of social inclusion at the Government Palace in Lima on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Elder Palmer was joined by Elders Jorge T. Becerra and Rafael E. Pino of the South America Northwest Area Presidency.

“I am an admirer of the order and respect [the Church has] when doing things,” President Dina Boluarte said.

The Church of Jesus Christ supported the underserved rural town of Puno in southeastern Peru when Boluarte was minister of development and social inclusion — an action that she said impressed her and deepened her gratitude for the Church’s humanitarian work.

Elder Palmer said the Church is politically neutral and teaches its members to be good citizens.

“We will continue to carry out humanitarian aid projects that help the community and allow them to be self-sufficient,” he said.

At the end of the meeting, Elder Palmer presented President Boluarte with a Christus statue and a copy of the Book of Mormon with her name engraved on it.

Additional Government Meetings in Lima and La Libertad

The delegation also was given a tour of the historic Municipal Palace by Lima Mayor Rafael López Aliaga.

López Aliaga said he has visited Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, several times and knows some of its history. He expressed great respect for the Church and its volunteer and social assistance programs. The mayor said his priority is to provide water, food and other items to the poor in his city.

Elders Palmer and Becerra also visited Vice Governor Joana Cabrera and her administration in the La Libertad region. They discussed the Church’s humanitarian and social programs. They plan to collaborate on projects that will benefit people of all faiths.

Links to the original articles published in Spanish Newsroom are found below.